Pages

Wednesday, 13 July 2016

Getting it right, or not...

Not a huge amount of progress to show here; mostly because I haven't been sewing. Today I could be sewing, but instead am sitting and staring. Nonetheless I thought I'd share where I'm up to anyway.

One of the things about working the way I tend to (without a plan and often by making several chunks and then working out how to fit them together) is that you create problems that you would avoid if you planned more. So, in this instance, I have lighthouses of differing sizes, some red and white, some black and white, some with bright backgrounds, some with dark backgrounds. Add to that the fact that my instinct is to veer away from symmetry and it can be hard to work it all out.

So, I had a layout which I shared in my last lighthouse post here. Then I put it all away and when I got it out the size difference between the top left lighthouse and the other two in that row seemed too much.

So I tried in in the second row...

...and moved the little grey one up. It is more of a size with its neighbours here, which would make things easier, though it doesn't fit so well with the names strip. The top row would now have all three of the smaller ones in together, which again might be easier. I decided to work on that basis for a bit.

Now though, taking the photos for this post, I am thinking maybe I'll go back to the original plan. Then that I won't, then that I will again. The questions I have to answer for myself are where to place the black ones so that they sit best with the others, how to balance out the sizes and how to work with the sets of names, which are with one exception already sewn (and which have been done with an eye to what I thought would be next to them).

The two things I can confidently predict are a lot more tinkering before I get anywhere and that despite this I won't be planning more in advance any time soon.

12 comments:

I love where these are going! You an I work the same way, no planning! It does help to play around for a while, put them away and come back later! I can't wait to see where you end up. These lighthouses are amazing!

I sometimes work this way, except that I don't tinker as much. Play till I get the playing part out of my system, then make a decision and do. If it doesn't work, I tend to push through. Rarely do I go back, and I choose not to fret. I definitely am not a perfectionist and I suppose I don't tinker very much either. Your process ends up with much better outcomes, but I couldn't do it. I don't think I could get off the floor as many times as you do! No really! In my mind, you sit on the floor and tinker with your chunks, get up and look at them, get back on the floor and tinker some more. Back and forth, back and forth. My knees ache just thinking about that back and forth.

I love this so much . I love the spontaneity of your quilts. I'm just putting together my sons wedding quilt , all different sized blocks and designs so it's s bit nerve wracking . But it WILL come together